Electric switch and cut-out device.



R. BIRNN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH AND CUTfOUT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24, 1910.

Patented May16, 1911.

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ATTORNEYS UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE ROBERT BIENN, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNoE, or oNE-HALF To IsrnoE GLUCK, or

NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ELECTRIC SWITCH A1 \TD CUT-OUT DEVICE.V

4Patenwi Mair-16, 1911.

Application led March 2 4, 1910. Serial No. 551,366.

particularly designed for use in connection with the molding strips usually employed in wiring buildings for electric lights'and for the supply of electricity for other purposes;

. a further object being to provide an impr,oved electric switch device of the class specified which, while being particularly designed for use in connection with said molding strips, may also be used in other relations or for otherpurposes; a further object being to provide an improved cutout device particularly designed for use in connection with said molding strips and said switch device but whichl may also be used in other relations and for other purposes; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists 1n devlces of the class specitied constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed inthe following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part,A in which the separate part-s of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views,an.d in which Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view showing my improved switch and cutout devices in connection with the molding strips usually employed in wiring a building or other structure; Fig. 2 al partial horizontal sectional view on the line 2,-'2 of Fig. 1 with part of the construction'removed, and Fig. 3 a transverse section on' the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. f

In the drawing forming part of this specication I have shown at al` and b two molding strips of the class usually employed 1n wiring buildings for electrical purposes, and

these molding strips are provided respecli"j.,g vtively with longitudinal parallel ooves a? and b2, through which are passe insulated electric ,conductors as and b3.

(':onstruction shown, with the bind-ing Iverse width as the molding strips a and, b

and said block .is provided with arallel grooves c3, which correspond with the grooves af'and b2 in the molding strips .a

and I), and in the opposite end portions of Y said grooves c3 are secured plates 'd' and e D provided at vtheir outer ends with binding' posts or screws d'2 and e2, and at their inner ends with raised lugs or projections d3 and es, and in practice the conductors a3 in the molding strip a are connected with the binding .posts or screws d2 of the plates d, as clearly shown in-Figs. 1 and 2, and otherv conductors e4 areconnected, in the forn of or screws e2 of the plate c.`

pose

Connected with the lugs' or projections of the plates are inwardly directed. spring contact arms f which extend toward the center of the switch blockcz, and the'free or inner ends of which are provided with inwardly set contact portions f2, and connected with the lugs or projections e3 of the plates e are spring contact arms g which extend toward the center of the yswitch block c2, and

the inner or free ends of which are provided with inwardly set contact members g2. The spring contact arms f and g are arranged in pairs in the grooves o of the switch block c2,

and said switch block c2 is provided centrally ofthe opposite sides thereof with raised or projecting members c, in which is pivoted, as shown at c", a lever h, the outer end portion of which is provided with a head having spaced projecting lugs h2, andsaidlever and the parts cl of theblock c2 f are inclod by a casing c ofany preferred insulating material, and which is provided block c2 in any desired manner, and which 'with a base portion c7 which is secured to the incloses the parts al, e, f and g,-and the other operative portions of the switch as hereinafter described.

Pivoted in the outer part of the casing'cB at cs is an arm z' havingyan inwardly directed nose 2 adapted to operate in connection with the projecting lugs h2 of the lever h, and said arm extends through a slot-i3 in the easing c and is-provided with an insulatin handle it.

The inner end 'of the lever It is provided with a link device 7b3, which is loosely connected with an insulating block 7b4 to the opposite sides of which are secured switch blades j, the opposite end portions 7'2 of which are provided with angular and backwardly directed contact members je', which are adapted to operate between the contactJ end members 7*'2 and g2 of the spring contact arms f and g, and secured to the inner end of the lever 72, is a strong contractile spring j* which is also secured to the outer end of the arm z', and which normally holds the `parts "7L, i and j in any position into which they may be thrown by the part z'. The lever 71, is a yoke-shaped lever, the separate sides thereof being connected at their inner ends, and the outer end portions thereof being provided with the projecting lugs 7a2, and the arm z' is a yoke-shaped arm, the separate side portions thereof being each provided with a nose 2, and the spring j* is placed between and operates between the separate side portion of the lever 7L and the arm z'.

The raised or projecting members c4 of the block c2 between which the leverh and arm i are mounted are provided, in the form of construction shown, with plates o9, between which the lever 7L and arm z' are pivoted, yand .this gives a firm and permanent support for said parts, and said plates may beA secured in position in any desired manner.

The operation of my improved switch device will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement thereof. As shown in full lines in Figs. l and 2 the switch blades j are in Iposition to make electrical' connection with the separate sets of spring arms f and also with the spring contact arms g, and the circuit will be completed through the conductors a3 and e* as will be readily understood, and in order to break said circuit all that 1s necessary is to throw the arin z' into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. l, and in this operation, or at the end thereof, the switch blades j or the backwardly or inwardly directed contact members ja thereof will be thrown out of connection, both with the contact arms f and g, as clearly indicated inhFig. l, and when .the switch blades j are in this position, the contact members f2 and g2 at the ends of the separate parts of the contact arms f and g will be thrown together and said contact members f2 and g are only separated when the circuit is complete and the switch blades j are in the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, and this construction and operation of said parts enables the spring contact arms f and g to retain their resilience, or spring qualities, much longer than would otherwise be possible, the tension thereof being released when the switch blades j are in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

My improved cutout device is shown at 7u and comprises a block 7a2 of any suitable placed the usual plugs 7x5 and 706, and whenever desired these plugs may be removed and electric light bulbs inserted for use, or by means of suitable plugs branch wires for any desired use may be connected with said cutout block as will be readily understood. The block 7a2 is also provided with two parallel grooves 73:7 in the oppositeend portions thereof, which correspond with the grooves 7)? in the molding strip 7), and with the grooves c3 in the switch block c, and the central part of said block is cut out at the back thereof as shown at 768. The cutout block 7a2 is o the same transverse width as the switch 'lock o2 and in the grooves 7:7 at the end or" said cutout blocks adjacent to the switch block c2 are binding posts`or screws m, with which the conductors c4 are connected, and the opposite end of said block 7a2 is provided, in the grooves 707, with binding posts or screws n with which the conductors b3 are connected.

A metal strip 'n2 extends from one of the binding posts or screws n to the bottom of the plug socket 7c, and a screw n3 is passed outwardly through the bottom of said socket and into the end of said strip. .The socket 7a4 is provided with the usual metal lining n4 and in the bottom of said socket is a metal strip a5, vhich is in electrical connection with said lining and with one end of the binding posts or screws m, and the strip a5 is insulated from the parts n2 andl n3, and when the plug /t'G is screwed into said socket a circuit is completed as will be readily understood. A metal strip o is connected ,with the other binding post n in the outer end of the block 7a2 and extends to the bottom of the socket 7c3 and a screw o2 is passed outwardly through the bottom of said socket and into said strip 0", and anothermetal strip 03 connects with the bottom of said socket and extends to the other binding post or screw m' in the end of the block 7a2 adjacent to the switch block c2` *i Ithrough the switch it will also be closed through the cutout block, and when the circuit --is open through the switch it will also be open through the cutout block.

. The diierence between the cutout device 7c `herein shown and described, and others of its class, is in the shape of the block k2 and the transverse Y dimensions thereof whereby said cutout device is particularly has been made square, and the'conductors Z13 and e4 have been .brought into .the block at right angles to the line ofthe sockets k3 and 7:4. This construction has rendered said cut out device ob]ect1on`able in use, said construction being such that the circuit'wire connections were much more diiiicult to make than /with my improved cutout device, and a complete job by reason of the form of the said cutout device or devices .was rendered unsightly and unsymnietrical;

but with my limproved 'form of cutout device the circuit wires pass through the said cut-out device in line with the sockets 7c3 and la* of said device and in line with the grooves in` the?` moldings and the switch block, and the width of the cutout block being the same as the width of the -molding strip andthe width of the switch block., a symmetrical and iinished construction is provided for, and a building may be more quickly and easily wired, and at a much lessy expense than with devices f this class as heretofore constructed. i

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An electric switch device, comprising a base block having parallel grooves, plates secured in the opposite end portionsof said grooves and -provided with bindin posts, spring contact arms arranged 1n pairs, 'conblock, switch blades secured to the opposite sides-of said insulating block and provided with end members adapted to operate in connection with the inwardly set Aend portions of said pairs of spring contact arms, and means for operating and moving said insulating blocklongitudinally of the base block. 4

2. An electric switch device, comprising a base block having parallel grooves, plates secured in the opposite end portions of said grooves and provided with binding posts, spring contact arms arranged in pairs, connected with said plates and extending inwardly toward the center of said block in said grooves, and the free ends of each pair of which are bent inwardly, an insulating block movable longitudinally of the base block, switch blades secured to the opposite sides of said insulating block and provided with end vmembers adapted to voperate in connection with the inwardly set end p01"- tions of said pairs of spring contact arms, and means for operating and moving said insulating block longitudinally of the base block, consisting of a pivotally supported lever connected with said insulated block, and a pivotally supported arm for operating said lever, said lever and said arm being connected by 'a tensionL device which will y ROBERT B'IRNN.

Witnesses: i i

C. E. MULREAn-Y, B. M. RYERsoN. 

